Aconitum plant named ‘Cloudy’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Aconitum  plant named ‘Cloudy’, characterized by its upright plant habit; thick and strong flowering stems; freely flowering habit; and light blue and white bi-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Aconitum carmichaelii.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Cloudy’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Aconitum plant, botanically known as Aconitum carmichaelii, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Cloudy.

The new Aconitum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Aconitum carmichaelii cultivar Arendsii, not patented. The new Aconitum was discovered and selected by the Inventor during the summer of 1985 as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of the cultivar Arendsii in a controlled environment in De Zilk, The Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by divisions harvested in De Zilk, The Netherlands since the autumn of 1985, has shown that the unique features of this new Aconitum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Cloudy have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Cloudy’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Cloudy’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.     -   2. Thick and strong flowering stems.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Light blue and white bi-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Aconitum differ from plants of the parent, the cultivar Arendsii, primarily in flower color as plants of the cultivar Arendsii have solid blue-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Aconitum can be compared to plants of the Aconitum cultivar Bicolor, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Zilk, The Netherlands, plants of the new Aconitum had stronger and thicker stems and were less susceptible to pathogens than plants of the cultivar Bicolor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Aconitum, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Aconitum.

The photograph at the top of the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Cloudy’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the first sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering stem of ‘Cloudy’.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flower of ‘Cloudy’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet are close-up views of the upper (left) and lower (right) surfaces of typical plants of ‘Cloudy’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and the following description were about two years-old and grown in an outdoor nursery in Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands during the late summer and early fall. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 14° C. to 26° C. and night temperatures ranged from 4° C. to 14° C.

-   Botanical classification: Aconitum carmichaelii cultivar Cloudy. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Aconitum     carmichaelii cultivar Arendsii, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—By divisions.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About one week at 15° C. to             20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About one month at 9° C.         -   Rooting time.—From divisions, it takes about 300 days to             produce a rooted young plant.         -   Root description.—Freely branching; light brown in color.         -   Tubers.—Length: About 9.8 cm. Diameter: About 4.1 cm.             Texture: Slightly rough. Color: N199C. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Upright perennial flowering plant; columnar with             deeply dissected leaves; light blue and white bi-colored             galeate flowers arranged on erect racemes.         -   Plant height.—About 85 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 24.5 cm.         -   Vigor.—Moderately vigorous.         -   Basal stem description.—Quantity per plant: About three             basal flowering stems develop per plant. Length             (vegetative): About 65 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Internode             length: About 3.7 cm. Shape: Rounded. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A tinted with 176B to 176C.         -   Foliage description.—Leaves alternate, simple, generally             symmetrical and deeply dissected. Length: About 11.5 cm.             Width: About 11.1 cm. Shape: Deeply dissected, pedately             lobed. Apex: Acute. Base: Hastate. Margin: Serrate. Texture,             upper surface: Sparsely pubescent. Texture, lower surface:             Mostly glabrous; margins, sparsely pubescent. Venation:             Palamate; lacinate. Petiole: Length: About 2.6 cm. Diameter:             About 3 mm. Color, developing and fully developed, upper             surface: 137A to 139A; venation, 144A. Color, developing and             fully developed, lower surface: 146B; venation, 146C.             Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces: 144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Appearance.—Numerous, single galeate, flowers arranged in             terminal racemes; zygomorphic. Flowers not persistent.             Flowers face outwardly.         -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering, about 16 flowers per             inflorescence.         -   Natural flowering season.—Summer to fall in the Netherlands;             flowering continuous.         -   Fragrance.—Not fragrant.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About ten days.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 20 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 8.3 cm.         -   Flower size.—Height: About 4.8 cm. Width: About 2.1 cm.             Depth: About 2.4 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.8 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm.             Shape: Ovate. Color: 145A to 145B.         -   Sepals.—Appearance/arrangement: Five per flower, petaloid;             one upper sepal, two lateral sepals and two lower sepals.             Length: Upper sepal: About 2.2 cm. Lateral and lower sepals:             About 1.9 cm. Width: Upper sepal: About 1.4 cm. Lateral             sepals: About 2.5 cm. Lower sepals: About 1.3 cm. Shape:             Upper sepal: Galeate; apex, rounded. Lateral sepals:             Orbicular; apex, rounded. Lower sepals: Elliptic to broadly             elliptic; apex, rounded broadly acute. Margin, all sepals:             Entire. Texture, upper surface: Sparsely pubescence.             Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, when opening,             upper and lower surfaces: Upper sepal: N155A tinged with 91B             to 91C; apical splotch, 90C to 90D. Lateral and lower             sepals: 91D; apical splotch, 90C to 90D. Color, fully             opened, upper and lower surfaces: Upper sepal: N155A tinged             with 90B; apical splotch, 90A to 90B; at the apex, N88A.             Lateral and lower sepals: 91D; apical splotch, 90A to 90B;             at the apex, N88A.         -   Petals.—Quantity per inflorescence: About two. Length: About             2.1 cm. Width: About 5 mm. Shape: Narrowly flabellate to             narrowly spatulate. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Cuneate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth; margins             sparsely pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: N88A;             towards the apex, N155A.         -   Pedicel.—Length: About 3.9 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle:             About 30° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Color: 144B;             upper surface lightly tinted with 176D.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 16 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Aspect: Upright. Strength: Strong. Color: 144A to 144B             tinted with 176C to 176D.         -   Peduncle.—Length: About 6 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Aspect:             About 30° from vertical. Color, upper surface: 143A slightly             tinted with N200A. Color, lower surface: 143A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: About 60. Filament             length: About 1 cm. Filament color: 157D. Anther shape:             Broadly oblong to reniform; basifixed. Anther length: About             1.5 mm. Anther color: 147B to 145A to 145B. Pollen amount:             Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 156D. Pistils: Quantity:             About five. Pistil length: About 3 mm. Style length: About             2.5 mm. Style color: 144C. Stigma shape: Pointed. Stigma             color: 144C. Ovary color: 144B to 144C.         -   Seed/fruit description.—Seed and fruit development has not             been observed. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Aconitum have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Aconitum. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Aconitum have been observed     to tolerate high temperatures of 35° C. and to be hardy to USDA Zone     4. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Aconitum plant named ‘Cloudy’, as illustrated and described. 